Two dead following shooting at Norfolk, Va., naval base

A sailor was fatally shot at the world's largest naval base in Norfolk, Va., late Monday and security forces killed a male civilian suspect, a spokeswoman for Naval Station Norfolk said.

The shooting happened at 11:20 p.m. aboard the USS Mahan, a guided-missile destroyer, base spokeswoman Terri Davis said early this morning.

Davis would not describe the circumstances of the shooting but said the scene was secure. No other injuries were reported.

Davis said the two killed were both males but that she did not have any other information on them. She said she could not say whether the civilian had permission to be aboard the ship.

The base was briefly put on lockdown after the shooting. Operations had returned to normal at the base, with counselors available, the Navy said in a news release, but enlisted sailors on the Mahan were not to report to duty today.

To get on the base, civilians must be escorted or have a pass. Each base entrance is guarded, and all 13 piers have additional security forces. As part of ongoing security efforts, handheld ID scanners were implemented this year at Navy bases in the region, including the Norfolk station.

The shooting also comes about a month after the Navy held anti-terrorism and force protection exercises around the world, including an active-shooter drill at the Norfolk base.

The base covers more than 6,000 acres and is the home port for 64 ships, according to information the Navy provided in February. The base also is the home port for a Navy hospital ship. About 46,000 military members and 21,000 civilian government employees and contractors are assigned to the base and its ships, according to the Navy figures.